The present invention relates to magnetoresistive heads and more particularly to a method and system for decoupling a read gap and lead insulation, allowing magnetoresistive devices to be used in higher density recording applications.
Magnetic recording technology utilizes magnetoresistive (xe2x80x9cMRxe2x80x9d) devices in order to read data stored on a magnetic recording media, such as a disk. Conventional MR devices include a MR element which has a resistivity that depends upon the magnetization of the MR element. The MR element could be a giant magnetoresistive (xe2x80x9cGMRxe2x80x9d) element such as a spin valve or an anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) element, such as permalloy. Such devices also include electronics which translate the change in resistivity of the MR element into a signal that indicates the state of a bit being read.
In addition, to the MR element, the conventional MR device includes a pair of leads connected to the MR element. The leads carry current to and from the MR element. The signal from the MR element due to the bit being read is proportional to the current carried by the MR element. The MR device also has a pair of gaps separating the MR element from a pair of magnetic shields. The shields ensure that the MR element is primarily exposed to the field from a particular bit being read. Thus, the distance between the shields is determined by the track width of bits being read. The MR element and leads are electrically isolated from the shields by the pair of gaps.
A trend in magnetic recording technology is to higher areal density in storage. In order to increase the density of data storage, the track width is decreased. The length of bits being read is also decreased. Thus, the width of the MR element may be decreased. The spacing between the shields decreases in order to magnetically isolate the MR element from bits not currently being read.
As the spacing between the shields decreases, the thickness of the gaps also decreases. As the gap decreases in thickness, there is a higher probability that the leads will be shorted to the shield. As a result, the MR device will not function. In the conventional MR device, a portion of the leads may also overlap the MR element. Current is shunted away from the MR element through the leads near the overlap. As the width of the MR element decreases, this overlap becomes a higher fraction of the width of the MR element. The fraction of current shunted away from the MR element also increases. This reduces the signal from the MR element, making it more difficult for the conventional MR device to read bits.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for providing a higher density MR device. It would also be desirable for the MR device to exhibit fewer losses due to current shunting. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides a method and system for providing a device for reading data. The device includes a magnetoresistive element. The method and system comprise providing a read gap, providing a plurality of leads, and providing an insulator. The read gap covers at least a portion of the magnetoresistive element. The plurality of leads is electrically coupled with the magnetoresistive element. The insulator electrically isolates a portion of each of the plurality of leads. In one aspect, the read gap is formed in a first process and the insulator is formed in a second process decoupled from the first process.
According to the system and method disclosed herein, the present invention decouples formation of the read gap from formation of the insulator. Thus, the read gap can be made thin without compromising insulation of the leads. The device to be used to read higher density data.